Diamond_Jim

not really worried about the next three games from a win viewpoint. More interested in how we win them. If we lose any the season gets very hard. My greatest concern is the game plan in the sense that it rewards lesser teams who play defensively against us and rely on the easy out the back. Playing 30 men inside the 50 makes it hard for anyone to score.

DD percentage wise of the growing population, game attendances are receding. It survives mainly because a pay TV company pays a lot of money to acquire football as a loss leader. International expansion is a pure cost driver... strange that one of the AFL commissioners was the fellow who decided to expand Bunnings into the UK... now witnessing one of the greatest write offs in retail history. Never assume the golden goose will stay around.

Need to turn 7-4 at the bye so the next 3 are essential. If we can better 6-5 in the second half I will be amazed. It's the stretch from hell.

Went to the Port v North game on Saturday as a neutral observer. Port were the better side by a fair margin skill wise. Can only recall one or two clean passages of play by Port. Just a boring game.

The old VFA rules Big Carl ... Wonder if there was any historical reason for the different numbers. Does illustrate that different branches of the game survived well enough with different rules. Very innovative the VFA with their early adoption of free to air TV.

Strange you should mention this because over the weekend I was wondering to myself if there were still an independent VFA comp would they be trying different rules in order to improve their product. Perhaps we could trial zones etc in the VFL. Playing the mini me seniors style has its obvious benefits but it seems a good place to start.

Does sound simple but let me ask... Jayden Hunt tackles Riewoldt just inside the 50 line .. the ball falls free.. he picks it up off the ground, goes racing down the centre, bouncing as he goes and kicks the torpedo for a goal and we win. No wait... when Hunt ran out that left only four behind the line and the emergency umpire has pushed her little red button and the play is disallowed.

You're right Jaded but the game plan makes them look average is what the commentators are saying. Love or loathe them, GWS are full with great skills but Pies and St Kilda closed them down very well.

some good points dc... the one about deliberate points is interesting.... what about moving the kick out line to say 25 (50 probably too far) to make the next play a genuine 50/50. Would you consider zones at centre bounces and kick outs from behind ? TBH centre bounces don't require zones as it is usually the only time the players are spread to somewhere near their positions. Perhaps for any bounce in the centre square area the number of players should be limited in a manner similar to the initial centre bounce.

or perhaps only allow subs if there is an injury.... drastic and of course it would require third party objective certification as no club could be trusted. By the way ... when is soccer going to get rid of the sub and coach's huts along the sidelines... makes for lousy spectating in many stadiums.

Saints are one of the few teams we play twice this year .... lucky that they are below par... wait a minute MFCSS tells me we have no luck !

perhaps we have too many umpires leading to the game being over umpired and thus more stoppages. Professionalism.. why not.. what should they be paid?

Is the tackler being rewarded too easily these days relative to the play maker. Remember that the ball player gets the ball surrounded by usually 2-3 opposition players. A requirement for immediate disposal serves perhaps to reduce the exposition of skills.

would not do any harm to trial an aggressive drop in the number of interchanges.. say halve them. Over time however it will perhaps just favour the stronger run all day players as they get fitter and stronger. A caller to the radio this morning mentioned that Richmond are better at the press because they are fitter and can thus maintain the pressure in the last quarter. The last two weeks and the perhaps the GF are good evidence of that theory.

they did draw with GWS who aren't that bad.

Lots of talk about the game being substantially reduced as a spectacle due to the manic press that so many clubs are employing. Draining on spectators and draining on players. Sure there are some stars that can adapt but perhaps we are being robbed of witnessing the skills of the lesser players. (Think our own Jayden Hunt in this regard.) Are the players of the future the tough aerobic runners who just push the ball forward or more likely crowd the ball carrier. As an AFL member I often avail myself of free entry to the less crowded games and watch as a neutral observer. I also watch one or two matches a week on TV. The strange thing is that perhaps the television hides the lack of spectacle because it concentrates on the ball carrier. In the "old days" we used to complain that the TV did not show the up the ground movement etc. Not to worry anymore because almost all the players are within 70 metres of the ball. Pressure is on the AFL to do something. Any ideas: less players Zones Change holding the ball to two chances for disposal What do the experts and the watchers on this forum suggest. For the tacticians... an even harder question ... how do you negate the press other than by the quick kick which more often comes back at you anyway.

not a good night for Max and Dan ..... will be interested to see the aftermath. Bottas .. a puncture .... Vettel a wheel lock and... our "favourite man" Hamilton does a Bradbury. Not sure if I will watch the race replay.. the Azerbaijan circuit does however look very beautiful on TV

Freo are a little better than I thought pre season. Cannot bring myself to admit the Pies may be better than I had predicted.... 12-18. At least I was right in relation to the Essendon hype

Sounds like a nice drop.... Better than an aftershave line !! https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/apr/29/bob-dylan-whiskey-heavens-door Bob Dylan will next month launch a range of whiskeys, hoping to capitalize on growing demand for all things celebrity-tagged. Heaven’s Door Spirits – a Tennessee straight bourbon, a double barrel whiskey and a straight rye – will initially be available only in Tennessee, where the 76-year-old singer and Nobel laureate has joined with liquor entrepreneur Marc Bushala to turn a deconsecrated church into a distillery. A national and international rollout will follow.

Yep... top 4 is now almost certainly gone so we are competing in that 6-12 bracket. In our interest to have the top 4 or five race away.

punters must have known something ....now 30 points down Edit ... a goal to the Pies means there is still a possibility

Went to Docklands for the GWS v Saints match last week. Also watched GWS play the Pies a few weeks before. GWS play a fast outside style of game. Both the Saints and Pies challenged GWS by playing a close scrappy game that limited GWS' ability to handball and thus move the ball quickly. While two in the chain might be okay the third was spoilt. Collingwood especially hung back knowing GWS would use the over the top handball to release the player. I suppose what I am trying to say is that you need to think about your opponent and where your strengths and weaknesses lie. We should beat the Saints comfortably but I would like to see some science applied to the tactics. Who goes out for Petracca I leave to the selectors but it would seem on today's form that ANB is the most likely. We now have three games in which to bed down a winning combination before Adelaide at Alice Springs. Needless to say we cannot afford to lose one of them/ I would have had Pedersen in before Weideman on Casey form but now we have given him a game it's time to go around again on that horse. Mind you he is probably a year away from any consistent AFL form based on Casey form. Let's hope we can carry him as he learns and moreover his team mates learn how to play to his strengths.

come on Richmond... could not stand a week of Collingwood hype

mediocre performance against a team playing woeful football... and of course Essendon played 4 days ago so no excuse for the relative fade out. Such a long way to go. Luckily we have some easier games coming up to build some momentum. McDonald playing mid ground and thus providing a defence against the easy ball out the back was a positive

have a look when it is posted... opening 5 minutes of last quarter and just as Hogan kicks the first goal of the quarter